Motorcycles are less stable and less visible than cars and often have high performance capabilities. For these and other reasons, motorcycles are more likely than cars to be involved in crashes. When motorcycles crash, their riders lack the protection of an enclosed vehicle, so they're more likely to be injured or killed. Per mile traveled in 2004, the number of deaths on motorcycles was about 34 times the number in cars. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 2005. Traffic safety facts, 2004. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation.

Because serious head injury is common among fatally injured motorcyclists, helmet use is important. Helmets are about 37 percent effective in preventing motorcyclist deaths Deutermann, W. 2004. Motorcycle helmet effectiveness revisited. Report no. DOT HS-809-715 Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation. and about 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 2005. Traffic safety facts, 2004. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation. An unhelmeted rider is 40 percent more likely to sustain a fatal head injury compared with a helmeted rider. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 1996. Motorcycle helmets: the facts of life. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation. Yet only 20 states and the District of Columbia mandate helmet use by all riders. Death rates from head injuries have been shown to be twice as high among motorcyclists in states with no helmet laws or laws that apply only to young riders, compared with states where laws apply to all riders. Sosin, D.M.; Sacks, J.J.; and Holmgreen, P. 1990. Head injury-associated deaths from motorcycle crashes: relationship to helmet use laws. Journal of the American Medical Association 264:2395-99. During the past few years several states have repealed or weakened their helmet laws. In 1997 helmet laws in Texas and Arkansas were weakened to apply only to younger riders. Kentucky weakened its law in 1998, Florida weakened its law in 2000, and Pennsylvania weakened its law in 2003. Louisiana weakened its law in 1999 but reverted to universal coverage in 2004. Repealing or weakening helmet laws so they don't apply to all riders has been followed by increases in deaths. Preusser, D.F.; Hedlund, J.H.; and Ulmer, R.G. 2000. Evaluation of motorcycle helmet law repeal in Arkansas and Texas. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation.Kyrychenko, S.Y. and McCartt, A.T. 2006 Florida weakened motorcycle helmet law: effects on death rates in motorcycle crashes. Traffic Injury Prevention 7:55-60.Ulmer, D.G. and Northrup, V.S. 2005. Evaluation of the repeal of the all-rider motorcycle helmet law in Florida. Report no. DOT HS-809-849. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation. In contrast, benefits return when helmet laws applying to all riders are reinstated.[ Error ]

Data subsections:

Trends

A total of 4,439 motorcyclists died in crashes in 2005. Motorcyclist deaths had been declining since the early 1980s but began to increase in 1998 and have continued to increase. Since 1997 motorcyclist deaths have more than doubled.

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths and motorcyclist deaths, 1975-2005

Motorcyclist deaths as a percentage of all motor vehicle crash deaths, 1975-2005

Year

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths

Motorcyclist deaths

All motor vehicle deaths

Num

%

Num

%

Num

1975

30,601

69

3,106

7

44,525

1976

31,724

70

3,232

7

45,523

1977

32,823

69

4,004

8

47,878

1978

34,923

69

4,448

9

50,331

1979

35,026

69

4,712

9

51,093

1980

34,995

68

4,955

10

51,091

1981

33,711

68

4,737

10

49,301

1982

29,654

67

4,267

10

43,945

1983

29,153

68

4,099

10

42,589

1984

30,091

68

4,425

10

44,257

1985

29,847

68

4,415

10

43,825

1986

32,224

70

4,309

9

46,087

1987

33,145

71

3,832

8

46,390

1988

34,105

72

3,491

7

47,087

1989

33,599

74

3,030

7

45,582

1990

32,711

73

3,128

7

44,599

1991

30,810

74

2,702

7

41,508

1992

29,457

75

2,291

6

39,250

1993

29,994

75

2,346

6

40,150

1994

30,816

76

2,215

5

40,716

1995

31,913

76

2,138

5

41,817

1996

32,354

77

2,077

5

42,065

1997

32,331

77

2,056

5

42,013

1998

31,779

77

2,227

5

41,501

1999

32,008

77

2,419

6

41,717

2000

32,109

77

2,829

7

41,945

2001

31,938

76

3,123

7

42,196

2002

32,724

76

3,187

7

43,005

2003

32,166

75

3,641

8

42,884

2004

31,750

74

3,904

9

42,836

2005

31,322

72

4,439

10

43,443

In 2005 about a third fewer fatally injured motorcyclists were operating without a valid license (24 percent) than in 1995, but this was still higher than among passenger vehicle drivers (15 percent).

Motorcycle driver deaths by license compliance, 1995-2005

Year

Passenger vehicle drivers

Motorcycle drivers

No valid license

Total*

No valid license

Total*

Num

%

Num

Num

%

Num

1995

3,056

14

21,456

703

36

1,939

1996

2,953

13

21,631

631

33

1,881

1997

2,900

13

21,702

612

32

1,878

1998

2,942

13

21,627

649

31

2,026

1999

2,931

13

21,899

611

27

2,223

2000

3,127

15

21,819

730

27

2,591

2001

2,977

13

21,862

799

27

2,886

2002

3,279

15

22,537

763

25

2,952

2003

3,123

14

22,200

837

25

3,358

2004

3,024

14

21,952

866

24

3,593

2005

3,129

15

21,880

994

24

4,122

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Age and gender

Ninety percent of motorcyclists killed in 2005 were males.

Motorcyclist deaths by age and gender, 2005

Age

Male

Female

Total*

Num

%

Num

%

Num

<16

39

85

7

15

46

16-19

184

89

23

11

207

20-24

597

94

35

6

632

25-29

486

94

29

6

515

30-34

439

91

42

9

481

35-39

429

90

49

10

478

40-44

439

84

86

16

525

45-49

401

85

70

15

471

50-54

384

91

40

9

424

55-59

287

90

33

10

320

60-69

255

94

17

6

272

≥ 70

64

96

3

4

67

Total*

4,004

90

435

10

4,439

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Sixty-six percent of the females who died in motorcycle crashes in 2005 were passengers, and their deaths represented 91 percent of the passenger deaths. Ninety-nine percent of the males who died were drivers.

Motorcyclist deaths by person type, 2005

Person type

Male

Female

Num

%

Num

%

Driver

3,973

99

149

34

Passenger

29

1

286

66

Total*

4,004

100

435

100

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

In the early 1980s the proportion of fatally injured motorcyclists 40 and older started to increase, from 9 percent of all rider deaths in 1982 to 15 percent in 1991 and 47 percent in 2005. However, the absolute number of motorcyclist deaths among all age groups has been climbing since 1999.

Motorcyclist deaths by age, 1975-2005

Motorcyclist deaths by age, 1975-2005

Year

≤29

30-39

≥ 40

Total*

Num

%

Num

%

Num

%

Num

1975

2,475

80

419

13

208

7

3,106

1976

2,565

79

426

13

239

7

3,232

1977

3,211

80

529

13

259

6

4,004

1978

3,557

80

603

14

281

6

4,448

1979

3,627

77

729

15

350

7

4,712

1980

3,641

73

896

18

414

8

4,955

1981

3,487

74

840

18

401

8

4,737

1982

3,082

72

790

19

385

9

4,267

1983

2,959

72

765

19

369

9

4,099

1984

3,171

72

813

18

428

10

4,425

1985

3,160

72

849

19

401

9

4,415

1986

3,034

70

877

20

388

9

4,309

1987

2,588

68

831

22

413

11

3,832

1988

2,309

66

757

22

424

12

3,491

1989

1,873

62

735

24

419

14

3,030

1990

1,885

60

805

26

438

14

3,128

1991

1,580

58

711

26

410

15

2,702

1992

1,242

54

638

28

411

18

2,291

1993

1,229

52

647

28

469

20

2,346

1994

1,121

51

584

26

509

23

2,215

1995

1,057

49

562

26

519

24

2,138

1996

932

45

541

26

604

29

2,077

1997

837

41

547

27

672

33

2,056

1998

897

40

599

27

730

33

2,227

1999

878

36

601

25

940

39

2,419

2000

986

35

696

25

1,142

40

2,829

2001

1,108

35

789

25

1,224

39

3,123

2002

1,022

32

767

24

1,396

44

3,187

2003

1,161

32

829

23

1,650

45

3,641

2004

1,256

32

853

22

1,795

46

3,904

2005

1,400

32

959

22

2,079

47

4,439

*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Motorcycle engine size

The average engine size of motorcycles whose drivers were in fatal crashes went up dramatically in the last few years. Among motorcycle operators killed in 2005, 21 percent drove motorcycles with engine sizes larger than 1400 cc, compared with 9 percent in 2000 and less than 1 percent in 1990.